Aella of Northumbria

Aella of Northumbria (824-867) was the king of Northumbria from 863 to 867, succeeding Osberht of Northumbria and preceding Ecgberht I of Northumbria.

Biography
Aella was born in 824, and was the grandson of Earl Oswald of Lothian. Aella became the king of Northumbria after the deposition of King Osberht of Northumbria, and he seized Billingham, Ileclif, Wigeclif, and Crece, which belonged to the church. Along with his wife Ecgwyn of Northumbria, he reigned as a tyrant, and in 865, he made the unwise choice of executing King Ragnarr Lodbrok of Svibjod, a legendary Viking king and raider, by throwing him into a pit of snakes. Ragnarr said "how the piglets would squeal if they knew how the old boar suffered!" as he died. These prophetic words were followed by an invasion of England in 867 by the "Great Heathen Army" of Halfdan Whiteshirt of Jorvik, Ivar the Boneless of Sudreyjar, Bjorn Ironside of Svibjod, and Sigurdr Snake-in-the-eye of Sjaelland. The Great Heathen Army seized York, which became the Viking kingdom of Jorvik, and they proceeded to level scores of castles, cities, towns, and villages, leaving destruction in their wake. They fought Aella and the army of his predecessor Osberht, and Aella was captured. He was tortured and killed in a gruesome death called the "Blood Eagle".